Ross: I had no way to measure chokes on the prototype SAC, but the barrels measure 27"; based on my visual examination, I would bet my meager SAC collection that these barrels have been amputated at least 3". Otherwise, the gun remains in fine condition with some remaining case colors and relatively strong nitre blue finish on the trigger plate. The barrels on this gun are "one of a kind"; the lug, lug face, and rib extension are different from any other production SAC gun I have ever observed; so it is extremebly remote that a replacement set would be available. The engraving and coverage on this particular example is not to the same quality and quantity as Paul's Grade D; but other features on the gun make it extremely intereting to knucklehead SAC collectors like me.
R.R.: My email is thomas.archer@charter.net; and I sent some information to Ross to forward to you. The barrel steel on my D2
features a beautiful chain pattern Damascus. I have no idea what barrel steel may be on your D2; but what I am thinking you refer to as the "star/flag" Damascus pattern is the barral steel Syracuse used on all their Grade 2 and Grade 3 guns. On later guns SAC roll-stamped their moniker "Improved Damascus" to ID the pattern; but early Grade 2 and 3 guns were not marked as to barrel steel. I have obserbed an almost identical pattern on Grade 3 and 4 Ithaca Flues model guns identified in period Ithaca catalogs as "American Flag Damascus".
As to the Fox and SAC frame sizes, Hollenbeck may/may not have had a direct association with Ansley Fox (Researcher can help me out here?); but Hollenbeck and G.A. Horne (a SAC gun superintendent) certainly had a major (and Horne a direct) influence on the development of the "Finest Gun in the World". The Fox gun utilizes Hollenbeck's one-piece cocking rod, hammer, firing pin unit; cocked by a sliding plate on the barrel lug (the sliding cocking plate was placed into SAC production in late 1903 by Horne, but Horne's idea to utilize this sliding cocking plate feature was actually a modification of one of Hollenbeck's earlier patents). The first Fox ejector guns also featured an adaptation of the SAC ejector mechanism originally patented by G.A. Horne and used on SAC guns from 1896 thru the end of SAC production (G.A. Horne worked for Fox after leaving Syracuse Arms). The Fox gun design was completed by the adaptation of the rotary locking bolt used on the LC Smith gun. So the bottom line was that Ansley's gun seemed void of any real innovation; he instead used existing and tested ideas that, with some ingenious minor modifications, created an excellent double gun. These comments are not intented to knock the excellence of the Fox gun; but are instead pointed out to illustrate that the Fox gun may never have existed without the genius of Hollenbeck and Horne (who, unlike Ansley Fox, are virtually unknown except to those who collect the little-known American classics).
Regards
